


Let It Be Christmas

by Arctic_comet



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-18 06:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16989741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arctic_comet/pseuds/Arctic_comet
Summary: It's December 1984 and Jonathan and Nancy have trouble figuring out what to get each other for Christmas.





	1. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter will be up before Christmas!

"Nancy? Are you awake? You'll be late for-"

Jonathan nearly had a heart attack at the sound of Mrs. Wheeler's voice right outside Nancy's bedroom door. His heart beating like crazy, he rolled off the bed, landing on the floor with what he hoped was a muffled thump.

"Coming, Mom!" Nancy yelled back, snickering at the sight of him on the floor, squeezing the sheets to his lower body for dear life. "She's not coming in here," she whispered, not bothering to contain her smirk. "So you can let go of those sheets, there's nothing in there that I haven't seen before."

The t-shirt that had still been on him the night before was now donned by Nancy. It was too big on her, but left most of her thighs exposed. Groaning, he got to his feet and climbed back on the bed. Nancy pulled him on top of her and he relaxed for a moment, letting his right hand wander underneath the t-shirt.

"We don't have time for this," he moaned against her mouth.

"No, we don't. We have school in an hour, and you still need to pick up Will and pretend you didn't sleep here."

"I have to stop oversleeping."

"I don't mind it when you do that."

"Your parents would freak and I wouldn't be invited to any of those family dinners ever again."

"Hmmmm... I think my mom sees you as an innocent choir boy, so you're safe."

"You don't think I'm innocent?" he joked, suddenly tickling her sides. 

"You're all out of innocence, Jonathan. Especially after being with me. You're like a wolf in a sheep's clothing."

"Was that a compliment?"

"Absolutely. No, go and get back here so that we don't miss out on chemistry."

After another kiss or two, he dragged himself off the bed to pull on his clothes.

"I need that shirt, Nance," he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Fine, have it your way then," she replied pouting as she pulled the garment over her head. She was very distracting especially when she was naked, lounging on the bed and staring at him like _that_ , but he was all out of options here.

Waving at her before climbing out the window, the thought of adding two words to their exchange crossed his mind, and not for the first time. _Love. You._

Because he did love her, so much that it scared the crap out of him half of the time. Watching his mom go to work and live as if she wasn't half dead due to losing Bob would've broken him if it wasn't for her. He'd kept his problems from his mom for years now because she'd had to focus on his younger brother, but after Will's possession and Bob, loading all his troubles on her would've been nothing but cruel and unfair. He would've buried all of it without Nancy.

Not that he believed she existed her to be there just to listen to his worries, but it felt good to have someone to talk to. Someone who slipped a hand into his during a movie night at his house, kissed him in the dark room after school and laughed at the same things as they ate burgers at a dingy diner to celebrate the weekend.

 ***

 At exactly 45 minutes later, he pulled up in front of her house, with Will sitting in the backseat. When he'd first started picking up Nancy for school in the mornings, Will had complained about losing the shotgun seat, but it hadn't lasted long. _"I'm glad you have her,"_ he'd said. Few things made him happier than Nancy getting along so well with his brother.

"Have you figured out what you want for Christmas?" She asked, fastening her seat belt.

Jonathan shrugged.

"I don't need anything. I have all I need. Really."

"Then how about something you don't need but something you _want_?"

He shrugged again. He'd stopped asking for presents years ago. Of course his mom always got him something for Christmas (it was usually clothes), but he didn't want to burden her. If he needed something, he could work a bit more, save up and buy it. 

Nancy turned to the backseat to address Will.

"I'm going to have to ask you for some tips. Can I count on you?" She asked.

"Sure thing."

"Great."

He had no way of knowing what Will would suggest Nancy buy for him, but he could already feel his face reddening. Will knew him well.

"Have a good day," he told his brother, stopping in front of the junior high.

"See you later!" With that farewell, Will was off, and Jonathan could see him joining Mike and the others in front of the main entrance.

Finding a vacant parking spot, he parked the car, grabbed his bag and headed towards his locker where he'd left most of his books the previous day.

"See you in class," he told Nancy, and she nodded, running to catch up with Ally and Stacy. Although they'd met several times, they didn't hang out much.

Usually it was just him and Nancy. He didn't mind, but sometimes he wondered what her friends thought about him. If they thought he was a creep. What strangers thought about him had never caused him much concern, but now when it could affect someone he loved, it was different. He cared more than he wanted to, more than he ever had before.

The nasty whispers around school had mostly stopped by now because their relationship was old news, but sometimes he could still hear the words "what a slut" muttered behind them. Nancy didn't seem bothered, but he hated it. Like he hated hearing the younger kids call Will "Zombie Boy" or adults drone on and on about how insane his mom was. That was why he mostly refrained from public physical contact with Nancy, or at the very least he didn't initiate it. 

Looking for his most recent chemistry notes, he ran across a totally other note. _Present ideas._ The list was currently empty, as was his head.

Jonathan had never been good at buying presents. With Will, he could at least usually figure out what he liked, and he always knew what his mom _needed,_ but this Christmas was different. He had a girlfriend. Buying Nancy a present? Impossible. It felt too lame to ask her what she wanted, and he didn't want to risk getting anything too ordinary. _Or anything Steve might have bought._

It had been weird standing next to the guy at Barb's funeral. Not that he'd ever imagined attending the event himself before Nancy had asked him, but Steve being there felt like... A warning of sorts. Another sign he still loved Nancy and wanted her back, just like the looks he sometimes saw Steve shoot in Nancy's direction at school. He wasn't exactly jealous, but it was hard to figure out how to make sense of all of it.

As happy as Nancy seemed to be with him, Jonathan couldn't help feeling that this was a dream they'd both wake up from soon enough. Nancy and Steve were together for a year, and he'd been with Nancy for approximately a month, a little longer now. How could he possibly hope to compete with someone who had that kind of history with her and who still stuck by her? And who he knew Nancy had invited to Barb's funeral, too?

***

“When did you stop believing in Santa? Asked Nancy that afternoon as they were driving home from school.

“I think it must’ve been when I first heard my parents arguing about how we couldn’t afford Christmas presents. Once my dad took the Christmas money and spent it at his favorite bar, which pissed off my mom pretty badly.” Jonathan didn't particularly care to talk about his childhood, but yet somehow it had always been easy for him to open up to Nancy about it. Perhaps because none of the events were related to her in any way, unlike with Mom and Will, who were of course both intimately familiar with too many of the bad memories.

“I’m so sorry. No child should have to hear things like that.” 

“When did _you_ stop believing in Santa?” He asked in return, preferring to change the subject.

“I started suspecting something was up when I was around six. I saw my mom shove this huge stack of presents to the back of their closet, so I went out to investigate. That was it for me, although at first I told myself that an elf had left the presents there by mistake.”

Jonathan chuckled. She'd obviously been a explorer from an early age.

“That’s a great story. Did you open any of the presents you found?”

"Mmmm... I may have. I may also have been extremely upset to find that the entire stack I discovered was meant for Mike. I guess Mom hadn't bought my presents yet, or they were hidden elsewhere. Holly did something similar this year... She found a bottle of perfume and a blue sweater that Mom had already gotten for me. She didn't understand what it meant, but clearly my mom isn't any better at hiding the presents now than she was back then. By the way, I’m watching Holly while my mom goes Christmas shopping this Saturday. Would you like to join me? We could bake cookies or something.”

“Sounds great. But only if I get to taste the cookies.”

“If you dress up as Santa.”

“What?” He'd never even dressed up for Halloween, so there was no way he was doing this.

“Well, Holly’s going to make them _for_ Santa, so you’d have to look the part," teased Nancy.

“No way," he laughed, shaking his head. 

She pouted.

“ _Please?_ Now I can’t get over the thought of you in Santa gear. We even have the costume in our basement, so you wouldn't have to bring anything with you.”

Jonathan couldn’t believe he was actually agreeing to this.

“All right. Fine. But no pictures," he groaned, gritting his teeth.

“Jonathan...”

“This is a deal breaker, I swear.”

“I could dress up as an elf, you know. Or Mrs. Claus. Just for you," she suggested. As much as he enjoyed the thought, she didn't need any skimpy costumes as far as he was concerned.

“You’re still not getting those photos, Nance.”

"You're so stubborn," she sighed.

"So are you."

"I guess that makes us compatible."

"I hope so," he replied, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

***

A few days later Jonathan took Will Christmas shopping to Indianapolis after school. 

"Can we go see Dad?" Asked Will. 

Jonathan did his best not to growl aloud, but he couldn't keep the hostility out of his tone as he replied. "If you really want to, I guess we could."

"Are you going to stay in the car like last time?"

"Unless you need me inside, yeah. I'd rather not see him."

"He was upset you didn't come inside."

"Look, Will. Can we drop this? I'll drive you to his place if you want me to and I'll even come inside and make sure everything's okay, but I don't want to talk to him."

"He's your dad, too," said Will. Most of the time Jonathan loved it how his brother always looked for the good in everyone and his ability to give multiple chances even to people who didn't deserve them, but this wasn't one of those times. His dad's behavior when Will had been believed dead had been disgusting, and that had been the final nail in the coffin of Jonathan's relationship with him. There was no going back. _Ever._

"Okay. We can go shopping first, and then I'll go and visit Dad for a while before we drive home."

Will always helped Jonathan pick out their mom's present, even though Jonathan never let him put any of his pocket money into it. Usually Will would make a present of his own for her, and only buy some supplies or frames for the art. This time was no different, and they located frames for Will's portrait of their mom soon enough. 

"What are you getting Mom?"

"Her car needs a few spare parts, you know how it's started making those weird noises when you accelerate. I thought I'd fix it for her. And I need to take a new photo of you for her, and frame it."

"Let's take a photo together."

Jonathan squinted, trying to remember the last time he and Will had had a neat Christmas picture taken together. That must've been when he'd still been in elementary school.

"Well, you know how much I like posing for photos, but it's a good idea. She could use an updated photo."

"Are you buying Nancy a present?"

"Why are you asking?"

Will shrugged.

"Because she wants me to help with yours, and because she's your girlfriend and I think you're supposed to buy girlfriends Christmas presents."

"I have no idea what to get her."

"You could make her something, like you always make me a mix tape."

"Am I too predictable?"

"I like the tapes! Seriously! But yeah, you kind of are."

"Then you're not getting a mix tape this year," Jonathan teased. He'd already made Will one, but he could buy him something else.

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm your best friend, Jonathan. You've already made my tape."

"You'll have to wait and see."

"You should make Nancy something, too. Maybe not a mix tape, though."

"You're the one with the real talents, Will."

"I didn't mean a drawing or a painting, but... Like, you can cook and build things. You're good at both."

Jonathan stopped in his tracks, nearly causing Will to walk straight into him. Maybe this was the solution.

"That's actually... Not that bad of an idea. Thanks, Will."

"You're welcome. Can we pick out the frames and then go see Dad?"

Jonathan sighed. He'd kind of been hoping that Will would somehow change his mind about that visit.

"Well, I did promise you, so yeah, let's do it."

 


	2. Two

 

Nancy did have an inkling of what to give Jonathan. Sort of, anyway. It had kept her awake several nights, because what would be a good gift for someone who hadn't asked for much in years and who'd been forced to grow up faster than kids like her, and who had seen things in his family that nobody should ever have to go through? Now she was going to have to pick a book and run her idea through Will... Or at least some of it.

 _Love Story?_ Too tragic. _The Great Gatsby?_ Not relatable enough. _The Princess Bride?_  Too.. No, that might just be perfect. It wasn't exactly Vonnegut, or even Stephen King, but appropriate. Perusing her book shelf, she soon located her own dog-eared copy of the book. Now all she had to do was write the notes and highlight her favorite passages. 

_I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm._

It was nothing if not cheesy, which was the entire point. He deserved something as good and naive as this. Choosing a gift for Jonathan was a small issue when you thought about everything they'd gone through since the disappearances of Will and Barb, but there was no harm in wanting to get your boyfriend something he would truly appreciate, right? She would see Will at the arcade tomorrow after school and ask him. It was peculiar, asking for present advice from a 13-year-old, but they were close. That fact only served to remind her that nobody in their right mind would think to ask Mike for advice on what to buy her. The contrast was striking. Nancy sighed. Who could she ask tips on how to improve her relationship with her brother?

As she stretched her arms around her head before grabbing her school bag from the floor to do her homework, her eyes landed on the mementos on the wall. Nancy still kept the old photos of her and Barb on her wall. It felt good to know that the lab was gone (at least for now) and that Barb's parents were no longer looking for her. She wished there was more she could do, but there really wasn’t. Not now. There was no doubt in her mind that the lab would return in some form; Hawkins was the place of strange events after all, and Eleven was still here. They wouldn’t give up, but neither would she.

At times the thought of her loved ones being targeted because of her actions struck her mind. Like Steve had said would happen if they tried to go against the lab. Yes, it scared her sometimes, but then again, her brother was even more involved in this than she was, if that was possible, and so was Jonathan through Will. They would be targets anyway if that was what they wanted, so it was in their best interest to keep the lab as weak as possible. They also had Chief Hopper, who she could count on to do his best to keep them all safe.

The fear still kept her on her toes, listening keenly for any weird noises in the house after everyone had gone to bed (and even now the howling of the wind had managed to freak her out twice in the last hour), and sometimes calling Jonathan just to make sure everything was all right with him. Jonathan made her feel things she hadn’t known existed. It was like their loaded moments of electricity from last year were now happening on a constant basis. Would she have found him if Barb hadn’t been taken? She wanted to believe the answer was yes, but it was possible that she would still be more or less happily in her way to getting married and pregnant at the age of 18 with Steve. The thought made her shudder. 

After Will’s exorcism Jonathan hadn’t pushed her away, contrary to her initial fears. He’d let her in. So in return she’d figured that she should try acting like someone who would be 18 within months and tell her mom what was up with her so that bringing Jonathan into the house wouldn’t raise questions.

 _“That’s nice, honey. Jonathan is such a sweet and humble young man, isn’t he?_ ” Had been her mother’s response to Nancy informing her that she and Steve were no longer together and that she was dating Jonathan. She hadn't pressed for details, which was nothing if not a relief since she had no idea how to explain any of it without causing a fight. Yet, despite the relief, she'd felt the need to offer her mother something. A glimpse into her mind. _"Steve and I... We don't want the same things."_ To which her mother had said nothing, but offered her a sympathetic nod and kept on wiping the kitchen counters, which had already been clean enough to eat off.

Now was getting late, and Nancy had just put the finishing touches on her English essay when she heard a faint knock on her window. Not expecting Jonathan that night, she'd locked the window in her general paranoia, but now she hurried to let him in.

"Hey," he said, climbing into her room. "I'm sorry I didn't call first."

"It's okay. Is everything okay?" She asked, taking in his tense shoulders and the unusual lack of the enthusiasm he usually possessed around her.

Wearily, he lifted his hands to rub them on his face. So everything was definitely _not_ all right.

"What is it?"

"As you know, I took Will to the city for Christmas shopping. Well, he wanted to see Dad, too. To wish him a merry Christmas."

"Oh. And that didn't go well?"

"I don't even know what I was expecting, to be honest. I guess some decency at least towards Will would've been the minimum, but no. He started asking if Will was still as unpopular as he used to be, if I'd taught him to defend himself like I should've... If Will was interested in boys, like some of his old drinking buddies here say he is."

"Wow. How's Will doing after that?"

"He claimed he was okay, but he barely said a word during the drive home. Mom's with him now, although I heard him tell her he wanted to be alone."

Gently grabbing Jonathan's shaking fists, Nancy directed him to sit on the edge of her bed.

"You need to stop doing this, Jonathan. Look at your palms... You're making cuts with your fingernails."

Prying her fingers between his, she forced him to relax. 

"Thank you," he whispered.

"I'm glad you came here."

"Me too."

"Will you stay?"

"I shouldn't," he grimaced.

"But you will."

"Yeah." 

"Do you need anything? Food? A glass of water?"

"No. Just you."

She leaned into him, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. Inhaling his now-familiar scent, she sighed. _I love you._ She wanted to say the words so bad, but would it be bad karma? She'd said them before without meaning them, and would never risk making the same mistake again. So she'd wait. The right time would come eventually. She was reasonably sure Jonathan was in love with her too, but he hadn't said the words either. However, she still hoped he could tell how she felt. That he was all she needed too.

As she brought his hand to her lips, she noticed the slight bruising on his knuckles.

"Jonathan?"

"Hmmm?"

"Did you hit your dad?" She asked, running her thumb carefully over the purplish skin.

"Ugh. Yeah. Once. He grabbed me when we were at the door on our way out, and I couldn't help myself. Not after what he'd said about Will. It's nothing, though."

"You need ice for this."

"It's not that bad."

"Hey, I was the one who helped you after you'd beaten the crap out of Steve, remember? Let me get ice."

Luckily her mom was no longer in the kitchen when she snuck in and grabbed a bag of ice and a dish towel to wrap around it.

"Thanks," he said, taking the bag from her. 

"You're welcome."

He never directly asked for kisses, but the way he was looking at her told her all she needed to know, and she leaned in. The hand holding the ice left his lap, landing on her neck. 

"Screw this," he exhaled, letting the ice fall to the floor before pulling her on top of him on the bed.

***

The next day Nancy walked to the arcade straight from her last class, while Jonathan headed to the gas station to work a shift. It didn't take long for her to find Mike, Will and the others. They were the noisiest group in the entire place.

"I'm surprised you guys haven't been kicked out yet," she half joked, raising her eyebrows at Dustin.

"What are you doing here?" asked Mike using a tone that suggested that seeing her at the arcade was akin to seeing a live alien marching down Main Street. Or maybe he'd be less surprised at the alien appearance.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I came to see Will."

Mike shrugged. "Okay."

"So, this is about Jonathan's present, right?" Asked Will, taking a seat beside her a few yards from the others.

"Yeah. I'll cut to the chase... Do you know if Jonathan’s read this?” She asked, turning the book toward Will.

The boy blinked at her and for a second she wondered if he’d offer her a very much Mike-like _“yuck”_.

However, this _was_ Will Byers and not Mike Wheeler. “I think I’ve seen it at my house and since Mom doesn’t have time to read, it has to be Jonathan’s. But he’s never talked about it or anything and I think it was a library book.” _Interesting._ It didn't change her plans, but still. What an interesting detail.

“Okay, Thanks. I think I know what to get him now. You’ve been a big help, Will.”

“You’re welcome, although I didn't actually do anything.”

“Oh, you so did. Anyway, I’m not leaving until I kick Mike’s butt in whatever game you guys are currently playing. Show me the way, please.”

She lost the first round of Hero in the Castle of Doom. And the second. And at least the next thirty ones, despite the vocal support she received from Max, Lucas and Dustin.By the time she raised her hands in victory, most of the kids around them had cleared out. Mike’s friends were still there, as was Jonathan now. He was leaning against the wall right next to Will, hands in the pockets of his jeans, beaming at her.

“Nice job, Nancy,” conceded Mike, forcing her to tear her eyes off her boyfriend as he offered her a hand to shake. She took it and smiled at her brother. This could be a start.

“You got lucky for the first 100 rounds or so.” Mike rolled his eyes.

Stepping away from him, Nancy strode to Jonathan, wrapping her arms around him. Her fingers were aching, but it was worth it.

“You kick ass, Nance,” he whispered into her ear.

“How about a kiss for the winner?” She suggested.

He palmed her face and kissed the top of her nose before gently pecking her lips.

The kids groaned in the background, but she didn’t care.“Ummm... Guys? Could we like get a ride home or something?” Asked Lucas.

“Sure. I’ll drive all of you home.”

“I should just walk,” said Max, suddenly looking defeated.

“No way. We’re the responsible almost-adults here, so we’re taking you.”

She could tell Max was either scared or embarrassed of something, or possibly both. Was it her brother? That Billy guy who had been giving her and all the rest of the girls in the school weird looks ever since moving into town? Well, he did apparently beat up Steve and the guy hated Lucas.

“Jonathan and I aren’t scared of your brother, Max. It’ll be all right, I promise. Right, Jonathan?”

Resting a hand on her hip, he nodded. “Absolutely.”

Fortunately there was no sign of Billy Hargrove when they left Max outside her house. 

"If we start running into Max's brother, you need to store a weapon in the car," she muttered to Jonathan out of the corner of her mouth as they drove away from the house.

"I won't let him hurt me. And if something happens, I know I'm not alone," he answered, kissing her palm.

"Yuck," sighed Mike from the backseat.

"Shut up," she told him, right before kissing Jonathan's cheek. 

Some things would never change.

 ***

Saturday night arrived soon, and by then Nancy was mostly finished with Jonathan's gift. He knocked on the door at 4 PM sharp, and Nancy barely managed to beat her little sister to answer it.

"Hey," he said, taking in Holly's small form beside Nancy's, clearly unsure whether it was all right to kiss her. Making the decision for him, she scoffed and pulled him in for a wet kiss.

"Hey yourself. Come on in, we've been expecting you. Holly says she could really use someone in the kitchen who knows a thing or two about baking. Apparently I'm _hopeless_."

"Is that so?" Grinned Jonathan.

Holly nodded shyly, returning his smile.

They were making sugar cookies that Holly insisted on icing. Nancy had already got started on the dough before Jonathan's arrival, but it was too thick.

"I don't think this dough is right," she voiced, prompting Jonathan to appear behind her to peer over her shoulder.

"Hmph," he said.

"What does that mean?"

"I think you're missing an ingredient. Can I try?" He asked, reaching around her. The position was rather nice, to be honest, as he had her trapped between his arms, her back against his chest. This wasn't supposed to be a makeout session, but she took too long to disentangle herself from him.

"Ummm, Nancy?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you put butter in the batter at all?"

Oops.

A new batch turned out perfect, and they even had time to ice them before Holly's dinner time.

"She's distracted by dinner now, so you should get that gear on," she whispered to Jonathan, pulling him out to the foyer so that Holly was out of earshot.

He started to grumble under his breath, but nodded. Nancy couldn't wait to see him with the costume on.

She waited for him right outside the basement door. At last, there was a rap on the door and she opened it, only to have to clamp her hand on her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“I know I look ridiculous,” hissed Jonathan from behind the white fake beard.

Nancy shook her head. “You don’t look ridiculous at all. This is adorable.”

To make sure he understood she meant it, she rose on her tiptoes and moved the beard aside to kiss him. “I love that you’re doing this,” she told him.

“Think she’ll buy it?”

“We can tell her you’re Santa’s little brother who’s come to check out the premises beforehand and make sure there are only good kids here.”

“Sounds more plausible than claiming I’m Santa.”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Holly’s eyes were the size of saucers when she got her first good look at Jonathan.

“I couldn’t find Jonathan, Holly, but look who’s here.”

“Santa?” She asked, a small frown on her face.

“No, actually... I’m... uh... Jasper, Santa’s Little brother. I came to make sure everything’s in order for Christmas Day and Santa’s visit.”

The creases on Holly’s forehead deepened.

“You sound like Jonathan. He’s my sister’s new boyfriend.”

“Really? Well, I don’t know a Jonathan. But he’s a very lucky boy if he’s your sister’s boyfriend.”

The little girl nodded gravely.“Can I tell you a secret?” She inquired.

“Sure.”Holly leaned down, keeping her eyes focused on Nancy, and spoke into his ear.

Nancy didn’t have to strain to hear the words.“My sister used to have another boyfriend. I liked him, but I think Nancy likes Jonathan more.”

She watched Jonathan blush beneath the beard.

“Uh, well, that’s a good thing for them. Now, your sister told me you made cookies for Santa earlier tonight? Do you think I could taste them?”

“But you’re only Santa’s brother. They’re not for you.”

“Would you let me test one for him?”Holly pursed her lips, considering the question.

“I guess. Nancy, I want Jasper to have the green Christmas tree cookie.”

“Okay, Hols, you get it then. It’s on the kitchen counter.”

 As Holly agreed to sit on Jonathan's lap as he munched on the overly sweet cookie, Nancy gazed at them, realizing she had something to add to her list. _I love that you're good with kids._ She didn't know if she could see herself as a mom, but Jonathan would be a good dad.

Her stomach dropped when she remembered the date. She only had two days left to finish her list. 

*** 

They spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with their respective families, but late on the 25th Jonathan picked Nancy up. It was time to exchange presents and if it was up to her, they'd spend the rest of the night together. 

"Where are we going?" She asked, as he led her to the back of his house, past the shed and over to the edge of the woods. The forest made her uneasy these days, and even now she instinctively listened for sounds not made by regular woodland creatures. Jonathan squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“It’s all right, I brought the gun,” he said. 

“You did?” _This was the kind of a thing that should be added to the list._

“Take it, here you go.”

“Thanks," she replied, accepting the gun from him. It was messed up, but she liked it that he was just as paranoid as she was.

“I couldn’t find a better place for this... I didn’t really want to come here either, but this was the closest spot I could find," he explained in a shaky voice. He was nervous. _Very nervous._

“For what?”

“Close your eyes.”

Grinning, she did as she was told, and allowed Jonathan to lead her.

“Okay. Here we are. You can open your eyes now.”

In front of her was a hut made of ice blocks and entirely illuminated by colorful Christmas lights. “How did you even manage this, Jonathan? The lights... How?”

“I found an old generator. It needed some tinkering, but it wasn’t that difficult.”

“How come I had no idea you were so handy with things?”

She wasn't expecting an answer, but seeing his face flushed despite the cold warmed her heart. _I love you._

“This is... The most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me,” she said, her fingers grazing the colorful lights.

“We should go inside,” he suggested.

Crawling inside the igloo, she spotted blankets, sleeping bags and a thermos. He'd seriously outdone himself. She never wanted to leave this place. He must've heard her excited gasp, because soon she felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. 

“Can we stay here the whole night?” She asked.

“If you want to.”

“I do. This is perfect. I can’t believe you put so much work and thought into this. How did you even find the time?”

“Will helped out.”

“Of course he did.”

“There's... There's still more. Look at the wall."

Nancy turned to face the wall behind them. There she found a message carved in Morse code.

-.. --- / .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- ..--.. / -- -.-- / --. --- -.. --..-- / .. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .-.. --- ...- . / .-- . .-. . / .- / --. .-. .- .. -. / --- ..-. / ... .- -. -.. --..-- / -- .. -. . / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / -... . / .- / ..- -. .. ...- . .-. ... . / --- ..-. / -... . .- -.-. .... . ... .-.-.-

Usually she would need a pen and a paper to translate the message, but this one was familiar. It was a passage she'd highlighted on Princess Bride exactly three nights ago.

_Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches._

“Do you need a notebook?" He asked nervously, his eyes darting between her and the code. The igloo was a tight fit and she felt him fidget beside her. Grasping his arm, she forced him to face her, to look into her eyes that were now glistening with tears.

"No, I don't. First of all, I can't believe you've read _The Princess Bride_ in the first place, or that you used that quote for me."

Jonathan swallowed. "Do you like it?" he asked quietly.

"Take a look at this," she told him, removing the wrapped novel from her bag.

He ripped the paper off and grinned sheepishly at the cover.

"Open it, and read aloud the name of the list inside the cover."

" _The Reasons I Love You by Nancy Wheeler_ ," he recited.

"I've said so many things I didn't mean, including those three words. And I know you think so little of yourself that you need proof. There's your proof, Jonathan."

"Nancy-"

"I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. I don't know why I haven't said it before."

He kissed her tears away before wrapping a blanket over her shoulders.

“Promise to keep me warm tonight?" She asked, settling on top of one of the sleeping bags, dragging Jonathan with her. _The Princess Bride_ was flattened between them, but removing it could wait.

“Always," he swore.


End file.
